


The Heat Flash that Never Ended

by tresa_cho



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adorable Isaac, Alpha Scott McCall, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, BAMF Allison, Beta Derek, Female Scott, Heat Stroke, Kitsune, Multi, Scott is a girl, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-24
Updated: 2013-07-24
Packaged: 2017-12-21 06:35:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tresa_cho/pseuds/tresa_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott threw herself into the pool, Isaac in her arms, and Allison jumped feet-first after her. The water felt like ice against her skin, and she gasped, inhaling a great mouthful of water before standing and clearing the surface. She coughed, pushing her hair back from her eyes, and trudged to Scott's side.</p><p>Allison cupped Isaac's head, helping Scott keep him afloat. “He's not waking up,” Scott said, a tremor in her voice. “He's not waking up-”</p><p>“Give it time. His core has to drop,” Allison said, biting her lip. She smoothed cool palms over Isaac's cheeks. “He's going to be okay.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heat Flash that Never Ended

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing I came up with. Unbetad. All mistakes mine.

“Jesus fuck it is hot.”

Allison groaned and sank lower into the pool. Cool water washed over her chin, breaths huffing out over the rippling surface. The only thing the summer heat was good for was sneaking into the pool after hours like the delinquents they were.

“Stiles! Shut up. You're going to get us caught,” Isaac said, sending a wave of water over Stiles. Pale and scrawny, Stiles flailed underwater, making just as much noise if not more. Allison sighed and closed her eyes.

She dunked herself completely and surfaced, slicking wet hair against her skull. A shadow fell over her and she looked up to see Lydia joining her at the side. Lydia's country chic bikini was completely impractical to swim in, and she sat daintily on the edge of the pool, both feet in the water while they watched the werewolves chase Stiles around the lap lane.

“Any end in sight?” Allison asked, tipping her head back.

“Nope,” Lydia said, popping her gum. She kicked her feet, splashing gently. “The next week is more of the same.”

“Third week in a row,” Allison said with a groan. “This is ridiculous.”

“Climate change,” Lydia pointed out.

Allison let go of the edge and let herself sink into the cool water. She hung, suspended, reveling in the fluidity of the water around her. The wolves' noises were muffled under the surface, and she could put the splashing out of her mind. Peaceful. For once.

Someone gripped her hard by the arms and hauled her to the surface. She broke into air with a gasp, and blinked water out of her eyes. “Scott!”

“Ah-” Scott's eyes went wide.

Allison smacked Scott's hands away and shoved her. Scott's mouth hung open, with that awful, wounded puppy eyes developing.

“I thought you were-”

“I can swim, Scott,” Allison said, pushing soaked hair back from her face. “I was just relaxing.”

“Sorry.” Scott sank into the pool to her chin, those eyes imploring.

Allison rolled her eyes and grabbed Scott in a headlock, forcing her under. She flailed, and the next thing Allison knew, she was airborne and moving towards the wrestling werewolves. She slammed into Isaac with a shriek, and they both tumbled under.

“Scott!” Allison clawed her way to the surface, Isaac's fingers brushing the small of her back. “That was unfair!”

“I'll hold her,” Isaac said, dipping his head close to her ear. Allison grinned.

They both struck out, splashing towards Scott, who was trying to get away by pushing Stiles into their path.

“Whoa, best friend not werewolf shield!” Stiles yelled before Isaac plowed into him. Stiles yelped, and Isaac chucked him over his shoulder into the deeper end, and Stiles flailed to the surface, sputtering.

Scott hauled herself out of the pool, water sluicing off her toned body. The sports bikini hugged all of her beautiful curves, and she stood at the edge, panting. Water dripped off her nose and rolled in cooling drops over her spine and breasts. With a grin, and a flick of her dark, soaked ponytail, she spun and sprinted towards the field.

Isaac growled playfully beside Allison, and he hauled himself out of the pool with ease. Once on solid ground, Isaac quickly outpaced Allison.

“Don't go too far! The security cameras are only at a ninety-eight degree angle,” Lydia called after them.

Isaac didn't let Scott get far at all. Within moments his longer legs caught up and he dragged Scott into the grass, a pile of knees and elbows. Allison caught up to them to find Scott pinning Isaac, one knee dug into his back.

“Nice try,” she said, flashing a grin.

Allison threw her arms around Scott's shoulders, dislodging her from Isaac's back. Together, they managed to get Scott wrapped in Isaac's arms, with Allison's fingers on every single ticklish point she could remember, until Scott cried with laughter.

“Are you through?” Derek approached them, hands on his hips. Almost. Stiles clung to his back, so it didn't have quite the effect he hoped.

“She threw me,” Allison explained.

“Warranted,” Stiles said with a nod. “Take me home, sourwolf. I'm too tired to drive. Marco Stiles-o is my new least favourite game in the world.”

Derek reached back and ran a hand through Stiles' hair.

“Yeah, we should get back before my mom gets home,” Scott said, clambering out of Isaac's embrace. She straightened her board shorts and settled a shoulder strap into place.

“What about Lydia?” Allison nodded to poolside, where Aiden had sufficiently distracted Lydia from the existence of a pool.

“Aiden drove, he can take her home,” Scott said. She linked fingers with Allison, and tugged her towards the hole in the gate they had created. “Come on, Isaac.”

Allison still wasn't quite sure how she felt about Isaac living with Scott. Sure, she wasn't going to put him on the street, but she saw the way Isaac looked at Scott. Hell, she saw the way he looked at _her_. He was going to complicate things. Deliciously, she knew, but complicate things nonetheless. And he and Scott in the same house?

Recipe for tears.

Allison drove them all to Scott's, and they parted at the top of the stairs as they normally did. Isaac to his room, and Scott and Allison to hers.

“That was fun,” Allison said, her voice low. She let her fingers trail up Scott's shoulders. She plucked gently at the wet bikini top. “Know what would be more fun?”

“I think I have an idea,” Scott said, a grin creeping over her lips. She let her hands curl around Allison's hips, tugging her close. She touched feather light kisses to Allison's lips, which Allison opened to more. Scott walked her backwards towards her bed, and Allison's knees hit the mattress.

She fell backwards, pulling Scott down on top of her. Scott straddled her hips, one hand twisted in her hair, the other tipping her chin up to give her a better angle. Allison hummed, skimming her palms up the firm lines of Scott's abs, to cup her breasts and give them a gentle squeeze. Scott smiled into her mouth, dragging a soft sound from Allison when Scott's fingers wandered.

“Um, sorry-”

Scott reared upright, flushed and panting, and glared at Isaac in the doorway. He shifted awkwardly, a hand pushed through still-damp hair. “Seriously?”

“I just wanted to know if you girls wanted the shower first,” he said, pink dusting his cheeks. “Sorry-”

“It's okay, Isaac. You can hop in. Allison has to leave anyway,” Scott said, sitting on Allison's thighs. Allison pouted, but Scott shrugged. “My mom's coming home soon. She's going to wonder why we're up this late, wandering around in the bathroom. Making out.”

“Okay,” Allison said.

Scott let her up, and she grabbed her clothes from the floor. She tugged her t-shirt over her head and carried her jean shorts in one hand. Scott pecked her on the lips, good-bye, and Allison left them to their devices.

At six thirty in the morning, the same day (she crawled into bed at three), her phone pinged with a text from Scott.

_Isaac's missing._

She sat up straight in bed, hair stuck up in all directions, stiff from the chlorine. She jammed the 'Call' for Scott's number.

“What do you mean _missing_?” she hissed when Scott picked up.

“He was in his room last night, I heard him breathing. He was gone this morning. All his stuff is here,” Scott said. “There's no message, nothing. He's just gone.”

“I'll come over. Have you called Derek?” Allison was already out of bed, snatching clean clothes to change into.

“Isaac isn't his anymore,” Scott said, her voice taking on that possessive growl. Allison suppressed a shiver.

“No, but he might have insight on to why a werewolf took off in the middle of the night without his wallet,” Allison said reasonably. “He's your beta, but he's been a wolf longer, Nova.”

“Damn it, Allison,” Scott said. “I told you not to use my name to get me to do shit. It's not fair.”

“Call him, see if he knows anything, and I'm coming over,” Allison said. “We'll find him, don't worry.”

“Allison...” Scott paused, taking a breath. “There was blood on the carpet. Not much, but I could smell it.”

“Okay, calm down. Just call Derek, and we'll get everyone working on it,” Allison said. She hung up on Scott, feeling only a bit guilty, and shoved herself into clean clothes. She was going almost two days without a shower now, but she figured the dip in the pool had been good enough.

She stuck her head under the faucet, wringing the chlorine out of her hair, before darting out to her car. It was still as hot as hell out, even with the sun barely sliding over the horizon. The oppressive heat refused to break, and they had been stuck in the same cycle of humidity, heat, and thunderstorms for the last three weeks.

Even with the windows down, her hair wasn't completely dry by the time she reached Scott's. The humidity made it hard to breathe, and she felt like she was practically swimming through the air to Scott's door.

Scott opened the door for her, and she slipped into the dark house.

“My mom's sleeping,” Scott said under her breath. “She doesn't know yet. Derek's on his way over with Stiles.”

“Stiles?” Allison cocked an eyebrow. Scott wrinkled her nose.

“They're seeing each other,” she said.

“Huh.” Allison was shocked silent. She didn't quite know how to react to that. “I... did not see that coming.”

“Neither did I,” Scott said. “And I don't like it- Oh. They're here.”

Scott and Allison cracked the door a bit to let Derek and Stiles in, with Scott warning them to be silent. All eyes turned on Stiles when she mentioned it. Stiles scowled furiously and gawped a few times before settling on shooting a hurt look at Derek, who promptly ignored him.

The four of them crept up to Isaac's room.

Derek and Stiles split up, looking for signs of anything that could have happened to Isaac. Scott led Allison to the faint traces of blood in the carpet. She crouched over the spots. Three in total, very small and not easily noticed. A drip from a height, such as a bloody nose or split lip.

“The good news is there isn't enough blood to confirm a serious injury,” Allison said, standing. Scott nodded, watching her beta and Stiles work flawlessly around each other.

“I thought we'd be done with all this,” Scott said, arms clenched tightly over her chest.

“Running the Alpha pack out of town doesn't mean everything else is going to stay away,” Allison said softly. “There's an entire world out there.”

“The window's open,” Stiles said, pointing.

“Isaac sleeps with it open sometimes,” Scott said. “He likes keeping an ear outside.”

“The window's been opened from the _outside_ ,” Stiles said. He fingered the window and rubbed a thumb over the latch. “There's scratches on the underside of the catch. Something was tampering with it from the outside.”

“Could be anyone,” Scott said. “This is the window I used to sneak back into when we went off on your adventures.”

“Yes, but in this heat the paint would show more signs of wear.” Derek stood beside Stiles now, staring intently at the latch. “The peeling around the scratches is fresh. It was done last night at least. And I think you guys came back through the door, right?”

“Yeah, we used the stairs like normal werewolves,” Scott said. “So it came in through the window?”

“I don't smell other wolves,” Derek said. “Whatever it was, I don't think it has to do with the Alpha pack.”

“They're gone for good,” Scott said. “They won't be coming back. I made sure of that.”

“What else is out there?” Allison asked.

“Everything,” Stiles provided. “Anything. The world is huge, and if werewolves exist, who knows what else does. We still have the bestiary, we can look through that and see if there's any hints.”

“It's in Latin,” Derek reminded Stiles.

“Lydia reads Latin,” Stiles reminded Derek. They both turned to Scott, waiting for her to make a decision.

“Call the pack,” Scott said, her eyes glinting red. “The usual place-”

“Oh my _god_ but it is so hot-” Stiles interuppted her, but Scott ignored him.

“-And tell Lydia to bring the bestiary.” Scott glared at Stiles, who sighed.

“I'm sorry, I still can't take you seriously when your eyes go all glowy. I just keep thinking about that time with the Christmas lights-”

“Stiles!”

“Sorry, sorry, going!”

The lacrosse field was empty for the summer holidays. Practice hadn't started up yet. When it did, they would have to move their meetings to the evening hours. With mosquitoes and lemonade in the waning sunlight. Allison wondered if she'd be able to remember these days in the years to come. Hot summer nights spent in secret discussion about the supernatural around them.

When Allison pulled up, the rest of the pack was already in place, sitting in a circle in the grass, chatting easily.

“-heat isn't good for the electronics. I keep telling you, my parents are in Hawaii for the summer. My house is totally open-” Danny was saying as they approached. His netbook was open in his lap, the bestiary stuck in one of the USB ports.

“We decided not to scent one of the houses,” Derek reminded him. “It would single out that member if anyone else ever comes to hunt us down.”

“Yeah, I'm just saying,” Danny continued. “Pool. And air conditioning.”

“We can swing by yours later,” Scott said as she sank to the ground next to Cora. Cora shifted over to give Allison room to sit. “This is the safest for all of us until we mature a bit more.”

Ethan and Aiden smirked, hiding their expression badly behind drawn-up knees. Danny did his part and shoved Ethan gently. Lydia just pursed her lips and tried to touch as little grass as possible.

“Have you found anything?” Scott asked, twisting her hair back into a ponytail off her neck.

“Nothing yet. We're only through half of the book, though,” Lydia said. “And, remember, there's a possibility the monster isn't in the bestiary. If it is even a monster.”

“Lydia, you and Danny keep going through the book. Ethan, Aiden, I want you two to scout the edges of our territory. See if any of Stiles' wards were broken. Erica and Boyd are going to try and trace Isaac's scent.” Scott brought her knees to her chest and rested her arms on them. “Derek, can you go with Stiles to the station and see if the Sheriff knows anything?”

“What about me?” Cora asked softly. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she was dressed in light brown, trying to make herself look as harmless as possible.

“You're coming with us, again, to investigate any abnormal heat wave patterns in Beacon Hills' history,” Scott said firmly.

“Us?”

“Allison and I,” Scott said. “The library. Quiet time.”

Cora's face fell, looking like the disgruntled teenager she was. Scott ignored her with a smirk.

“Do you think the heat has something to do with Isaac's disappearance?” Danny asked.

“We should try and eliminate any variables we can,” Scott said. “One by one, just like in math.”

Allison smiled and ran her knuckles along Scott's spine proudly. Scott sent her a grateful look.

“Okay. Meet back here at five with what we've found. Then we can go to Danny's for dinner and pool.” Scott pushed herself to her feet. She helped Allison up, and Cora followed them as they returned to Allison's car.

“Don't scent mark the seats,” Allison said as they backed out of the parking lot.

“Ugh, no worries there.” Cora perched awkwardly on the edge of the backseat, huddled in on herself. “It reeks of sex.”

“And I like it that way,” Allison shot back.

“Can you at least open the windows?” Cora asked.

“It's almost one hundred degrees outside. No,” Allison said firmly. “Deal with it.”

“So unfair. You're worse than Derek,” Cora said, pouting. She folded her arms over her chest and sank back to glare out the window.

“Yes, well, he didn't try to kill his Alpha,” Scott pointed out.

“Oh my god. That was months ago,” Cora said with a whine. “I said I was sorry, okay?”

“You're still under probation,” Scott reminded her. “You deal with being my sidekick until we can determine your loyalty.”

Cora growled but said nothing more.

Allison drove circles around the parking lot, looking for a place to tuck her car. The lot was packed. Everyone was trying to escape the heat. They ended up parking in the next lot over, and walked quickly to the building. Scott and Cora were sweating by the time they escaped the heat, and Allison felt for them. Even in white sleeveless tanks, their bodies ran hotter than humans. The heat was harder on them.

Scott put Cora down in a chair with an almanac, and then she and Allison slipped into computer desks. The next few hours were spent crawling through weather history sites, trying to come up with a correlation between the current heat tsunami and past weather patterns.

They came up with nothing, and the closing chimes started to ring nearing five, signaling their exit. Allison tried to keep the mood light with some music, but she could tell Scott was getting worried. They hadn't heard anything from the rest of the pack, and Scott was close to Isaac. This had to be killing her.

Allison pulled into the school lot and let her hand drop onto Scott's thigh, squeezing gently before they exited the car.

The rest of the pack trickled back to the field. Scott kept her hand clasped tightly in Allison's as each team came back, each more dejected than the one before. Nothing.

“We got as far as an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town,” Erica said. “And we lost it there. There's a river in the back.”

“Did you follow the river?” Scott asked, voice tight. Allison squeezed her hand. Erica and Boyd shook their heads. Scott sighed. “I'll follow it and look for a- a body.”

“I'll go with you,” Derek said instantly. Scott shook her head.

“Go to Danny's. Rest. I'll meet up with you after I'm done searching the area,” Scott said.

“You shouldn't be alone,” Derek said, his eyes flashing gold.

“I'll be with her,” Allison said firmly. Derek backed down.

Erica gave them directions to the factory, and the rest of the pack left for the comfort of Danny's pool. Allison and Scott picked their way through overgrown grass to the abandoned building.

“Two years ago this would have been an awesome place to explore,” Scott said, breaking the silence. Allison ached at the pain in her voice. The fear of having lost Isaac. “It looks like it came right out of The Last of Us.”

Scott helped her over the crumbling outer wall and they walked forward together. Allison slipped two ring daggers from her thigh holster and held them in place as they moved. The only thing she could hear were the sounds of nature. Birds, bugs, and the sound of wind through the grass. She could see Scott listening with her better hearing, and waited for her cues.

Breathing silently, they made their way through the factory and into the forest encroaching behind it. Trees stretched for the old building. The forest would soon reclaim its land.

The river was a few yards away, and not so much a river as a run-off from the rest of town. Deep enough to drown in, but shallow enough to wade. Scott took her flats off and stepped into the water, gripping slick rocks with clawed toes.

Something she had learned from Kali before killing her.

Allison followed alongside Scott on the bank, eyes skirting the treeline for signs of movement. They walked for two hours, until Scott finally stepped from the water and slipped her shoes back on.

“We would have found him by now,” she said quietly.

“We'll find him,” Allison said. “It'll be all right.”

“I can't lose him, Allison,” Scott said, fists clenched at her sides. “He trusts me. I can't let him down-”

“You won't.” Allison tilted Scott's face up, hand cupped under her chin. “He knows you're looking for him. We'll find him, Nova.”

“I'm going to slap you the next time you say my name,” Scott said, no heat in the threat. “You always do it to make me cry.”

“That's not true,” Allison said, drawing her close. She touched her lips to Scott's forehead, brushing back sweaty hair. “Your name is beautiful.”

“It's bunch of islands off the coast of Canada,” Scott said, grumbling as she leaned against Allison.

“A bunch of beautiful islands,” Allison pressed.

Scott groaned, but wrapped her arms around Allison's waist and pulled her in. Allison twisted her hand in Scott's hair and peppered comforting kisses to her throat. Scott tucked her head into Allison's neck and just breathed, grounding herself with Allison's scent.

They spent the trip to Danny's place in a comfortable silence. Allison drove with one hand on the wheel, the other grasped tightly in Scott's. Allison wasn't a werewolf, and even she could hear Stiles' yelps coming from the backyard as they parked the car.

“Don't throw me in, the chlorine is murder on my knives,” Allison warned. Scott nodded.

She parted from Allison as they entered Danny's backyard, and ran to the pool with a whoop of excitement. She leapt into the fray, in her white t-shirt and short skirt. Allison shook her head and picked up the flats Scott had kicked off in a brief second of forethought.

Allison joined Lydia on the pool deck, where she was laying out playing cards on the deck table.

“Did you find him?” Lydia asked, staring at the cards furiously. As if they weren't doing what she wanted.

Allison tugged off her boots and drew her knees up to her chest, heels perched on the edge of the chair. “No. No sign of him.”

“Danny and I made it through the bestiary,” Lydia said. “There's nothing in there about... magical heat monsters. A lot of mentions of stealing children from beds, though. If I had known about an evil Sandman when I was younger, I don't think I would have slept.”

“It would be nice if the weather could be fixed by killing a monster,” Allison said with a sigh. The heat was utterly unbearable. She could feel her shirt sticking to her back. She pushed her hair back and heaved a breath.

“Oh my god.” Lydia jerked a hand back from the table. The cards were melting into the table, plastic running along the lines of wood. Her arm brushed against the arm of the chair and she jerked back, a red burn glaring against her skin. “Oh my god!”

The concrete pool deck _sizzled_. Allison tucked her limbs as close as she could, but the heat was increasing around her, the air getting hot and hard to breathe.

“Lydia!” Aidan hauled himself from the pool, water skittering on the scalding concrete, and ran to the table. Lydia shrieked, but Aidan ignored her, grabbed her up and darted back into the pool with a splash.

“Scott! No!” Allison gasped.

Scott completely ignored her, clambering out of the pool. Her eyes flashed red as she crossed the few steps to Allison, swept her up, and trotted back into the pool. She gripped Allison tight when she jumped, and they bounced back to the surface instantly.

Allison pushed wet hair out of her eyes and smacked Scott's chest. “You burned your feet!”

“They're healing already,” Scott said, unperturbed. Her eyes skimmed Danny's backyard, looking for signs of movement. “Something smells weird.”

“Something besides playing cards melting on a wooden table?” Lydia asked. She was sitting on Aidan's shoulders, her pretty white dress soaked through.

“Something alive,” Derek provided. One arm was around Stiles' waist, to stop him from going after Scott when she climbed out of the pool. “Something not human.”

“My parents aren't supposed to be back until the school year,” Danny said. Nobody laughed. “Bad form. Sorry.”

The heat increased drastically around them, until the ground shimmered with refraction, and Allison had to sink lower in the water just to be able to breathe cool air. They all lowered themselves into the water, hoping for the heat to pass. Allison kept her eyes in the woods outside Danny's fence, trying to see through the shimmers.

“Do you hear that?” Scott asked, breath blowing ripples on the surface.

“Yeah,” Derek said, his eyes narrowing.

“What?”

“Someone saying 'help me'.” Scott stood carefully and moved towards the edge of the pool. “Hey! Is someone out there?”

Allison heard nothing, and from the looks of it, neither could any of the other pack humans. Ethan and Aidan's eyes were gold, though, which was never a good sign. Their time with Deucalion had honed their instincts to perfection, even if they didn't always have all of the information.

“Scott, don't,” Allison said softly, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

“Someone might be out there,” Scott said, her eyes fixed on the woods just beyond the fencing.

And then, like someone had lifted a blanket from over their faces, the heat vanished as swiftly as it had come on. Derek gasped at the sudden rush of sensation, and Allison had to throw herself at Scott to keep her from getting out of the water.

“It was here,” Scott said needlessly. She turned in Allison's arms, her eyes red. “It was taunting us. It knows what we are.”

“It doesn't take long to figure out that we're a bunch of punk kids,” Stiles pointed out. Scott shook her head.

“It knows we're werewolves.”

Danny's air conditioning hadn't survived the run in with the creature, so Ethan offered his home as a temporary refuge until it was fixed. Allison took Scott home and after a good-bye kiss, made her way back to her own apartment. Her dad was up, typing away at his computer when she entered.

“I want you to stay inside,” he said, without a glance at her.

“Dad, I thought we were past this 'ordering my daughter around with no explanation' phase,” Allison sighed.

“There's something out there, and I don't want you getting hurt,” Dad amended. He leaned back in his chair and eyed her.

“Do you know something about it?” Allison asked, approaching his desk.

He turned his monitor down so that she couldn't see it, and shook his head. “I don't want you getting involved.”

“Dad, I'm already involved. It took Isaac,” Allison said. She felt mildly gratified seeing her father's face crumble.

“Oh, honey. I'm so sorry.” He stood and opened his arms, but she kept him at bay, holding up a staying hand.

“Just tell me what you know,” she said, steeling herself against the hurt in her father's eyes.

“There's a fox demon in town,” Dad said.

“What does that mean?” Allison asked, sitting on the ottoman behind his desk. He turned to face her and sighed.

“They are fire elementals, and they can create abnormal heat waves where they take up a nest,” Dad said. “And they burn things. They also have a talent for mimicking human voices.”

“We heard something calling for help at Danny's today,” Allison said softly. Dad nodded.

“It's a fox. It is devious.”

Don't put Stiles in the same room with it. Check. She'd have to tell Scott. “How do we defeat it?”

“You don't,” Dad reinforced. “You stay inside and let Derek and his people handle it. We don't do that anymore, remember?”

“I'm in too deep to back out, Dad,” Allison said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “And I'd rather have your help than try and go behind your back like I had to last time. We know how well that ended.”

Last time. The Alpha pack. Allison bleeding out on the floor of her English classroom while Derek fought to protect both her and Ms Blake from the twins. Allison had managed to save Ms Blake, but her father's frisking before school left her completely defenseless.

Dad sighed heavily, and dropped his head into his hands. Allison stood and went to him, cradling his head against her stomach. He gripped her arm fiercely. “I don't want to lose you, too,” he admitted.

“You won't,” she said. “Scott would never give me the bite without my consent. But I need your help, Dad. Please.”

Dad inhaled sharply, and then straightened. He gave her a smile. “When did you become so grown up?”

“I had a good upbringing,” Allison said, returning the smile. Dad cuffed her gently on the ear and ruffled her hair. “Yeah, don't do that. I haven't showered in like, two days.”

“Gross,” Dad said. Allison smacked his arm, and he stood. He moved to the lone bookshelf in the room and pulled out a worn, red book. “Here.”

Allison accepted the book and stared at the cover. “This is in Japanese,” she said.

“Yup,” Dad said. “The creature is a kitsune. And now you know as much as I do. I can try contacting Hiroshi-san, and see if he can help on this, but we might be on our own.”

“Any information you can get would be helpful,” Allison said. “Thank you.”

She held the book to her chest as she moved to her bedroom. Dropping it onto her desk, she flipped it open. It wasn't completely translated, but someone had scribbled notes every few pages, things about a natural habitat, and luring people to its den. Someone had tried to discern the truth from an ancient fairy tale.

She speed-dialed Scott.

“Mmgrh-yeah?” Scott grumbled on the other end.

“Did I wake you?” Allison asked, guilt sweeping through her.

“No- No- I...” Scott trickled off, and Allison heard her jaw pop with a yawn. “I wazzn't-”

“Scott, I think my dad had something,” Allison said. “He says it might be a kitsune. A Japanese fire demon.”

“That's...” Scott paused for much too long. “We're in California.”

Allison counted to ten before opening her mouth. “Somehow it made it's way here. It's presence is usually heralded by an abnormal heat wave, and it can imitate human voices to trick it's prey.”

“How do we take it out?” All traces of sleep vanished from Scott's voice.

“Water, I can only assume. My dad gave me a book, but I haven't gotten completely through it yet. I'm going to call Stiles and see if he can find anything in the bestiary,” Allison said. “Get some rest.”

“Yeah, yeah. Call me if you come up with anything,” Scott said.

“Sure, babe,” Allison said.

“I mean it. Don't go off on your own,” Scott said, her voice dropping low. “I can't lose you.”

“I know, babe,” Allison said quietly. “Get some rest.”

“Love you.”

Allison cut the call, closing her eyes. Scott always said it. Allison hadn't been able to bring herself to utter those three little words just yet. She gripped her phone tight in her hand, knuckles going white, and then inhaled to steady herself. She exhaled and pushed Stiles' speed-dial.

“Yo.” Stiles picked up halfway through the first ring as always.

“Stiles, is there anything in the bestiary about a kitsune?” Allison asked.

“Japanese fox demon? Those aren't real,” Stiles said.

“Neither are werewolves,” Allison pointed out. Stiled grunted on his end and Allison heard typing.

“I programmed a basic search engine that hacks into Google's open source translator to narrow down results so I don't have to go through the entire thing again by hand, and it came up with five hits.” More tapping on Stiles' end. “It looks like they are fire demons. Heat waves, blah blah, cunning- The effects match, but there's nothing in here about kidnapping helpless werewolf pups.”

“It's a fox. Foxes hate wolves,” Allison said. “Maybe it's as simple as an insurance policy.”

“Stupid policy,” Stiles said. “Taking the pups usually just make the adults furious.”

“I never said it was a smart demon,” Allison pointed out. “Anything about how to defeat it?”

“Ice. Lots of ice. Too bad ice wouldn't last against flames.” Stiles made his thinking noises. “Water should work. I mean, it's fire right. Water can suffocate fire.”

“Okay, let's come up with a plan,” Allison said.

She and Stiles went round and round with ideas, until they finally settled on the one least likely to get anyone roasted alive. This was pushing four in the morning. Allison collapsed into bed, too exhausted to change.

Her phone ringing dragged her to consciousness some time later, and she grasped at it blindly. “ 'lo?”

“Jesus, Allison.” Scott. Frantic. “Are you okay? I've tried your phone three times-”

“Yeah, what's going on? I was sleeping-” Allison started.

“Stiles is gone, Derek is freaking out- It smells like freaking _fox_ in here, and there's blood on the carpet. A lot more than Isaac-”

“I'm on my way, calm down,” Allison said, pushing herself up from her bed. She missed the quiet days. The days when she could have as many showers as she wanted. Once again she had to settle with a fresh change of clothes and a rub down in the sink.

“Have you showered yet?” Dad called from the kitchen.

“Not yet!” Allison called back, halfway out the door.

“Gross!”

Allison rolled her eyes and took the stairs to the garage. Elevator was too slow.

Ms McCall opened the door for her, her fist tight in the front of Scott's light t-shirt. “I said no pouncing,” Ms McCall said.

Allison stepped into the house and grasped Scott's hand. Scott grabbed back so tight it hurt, and dragged Allison to her. She nosed Allison's throat, taking in her presence and her scent. Ensuring she was safe and real.

“It knows I'm the alpha,” Scott said into the skin of her shoulder. “It's going after my pack.”

“Where's Derek?” Allison asked.

“He's blowing off steam in the woods,” Scott answered, pulling back. She frowned. “Why?”

“Do you really think that's what he's up to?” Allison asked with a sigh. Scott narrowed her eyes. Allison shook her a bit. “What is Derek known to do?”

“Stupid things that get him almost killed,” Scott answered correctly. Ms McCall looked properly horrified at her daughter's statement, but said nothing. “We have to find him.”

“Damn right we do.”

Allison led the way to her car and Scott slid into the passenger seat. She drove to the Preserve and as soon as she threw her car into park, Scott was off like a shot. She kicked off her useless flats and left them beside the car. Allison grunted in annoyance, scooping the shoes off the ground. She tossed them into the car and snatched up her bow before locking the car and taking after Scott.

She lost sight of her within minutes, and stood, frustrated, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't hope to keep up with them. They were much too fast.

She set her eyes on a tall tree and slung her bow over her shoulder. Pulling herself along, she climbed higher and higher until she had a decent view of the Preserve. She settled herself against the trunk and drew her bow. She nocked a non-baned arrow and waited.

They were almost quiet as they ran. Almost.

A bush rustling caught her attention and she set her sights. Derek burst from the undergrowth, heading for the north. Allison could see his ears from where she sat, wolfed out as he was. She let her arrow fly, and it sunk into a tree right beside Derek's face. He instinctively whirled, and Allison shot another arrow just in front of his nose. He started running in the right direction, and shortly after Scott flung herself into view. Wolfed out, dark hair streaking behind her, she chased Derek into the open, where she had the advantage.

They streaked past Allison's car, and Scott caught up to Derek within seconds. She dragged him to the ground and wrestled him into one of the holds Allison had taught her. Derek howled, chilling Allison to her bones as she quickly dismounted from her perch.

“You need to calm down.” Scott was shouting in Derek's face as Allison approached. “He's not dead. We're going to get him back, but you have to focus.”

“I can't _lose him_ ,” Derek said, his voice shattered and broken. Allison's heart clenched hearing it.

Scott slammed her hand down against his back. He started, gasping. “You still feel him, don't you? You _know_ he's alive. Now get a hold of yourself and help us find him.”

Derek's game face shifted, and soon he looked human again. Lying in the grass, panting and pale, Derek gathered himself and Scott released him. She dragged him to his feet and brushed off his front.

“I know, okay. I know,” Scott said, a hand gripping Derek's arm. “But we have to keep our heads. We can beat this thing.”

Derek nodded, jaw clenched tightly. He let Scott herd him into the back of Allison's car and sulked the entire ride back to his loft.

“Are you good?” Scott asked, twisting in her seat before Derek got out. Derek nodded and left them.

Allison made to pull away, but Scott tugged her arm. “Wait. Kill the engine.”

Allison twisted the ignition and the engine quieted. Scott pressed her head against the glass and closed her eyes as heat rose in the vehicle.

“He's in the shower,” Scott said finally, opening her eyes. They glowed red. “Okay. Let's go.”

Allison turned on the air conditioning, and they pulled away from Derek's loft. Allison drove Scott home, and they entered her room. Allison found herself pressed against the closed door, Scott's strong fingers pressing into her skin.

Scott's mouth was on hers, palms sliding up her bare stomach, under her shirt, holding her firm.

“Scott, Scott...” Allison breathed against Scott's lips, unable to push her away from something she so desperately needed. “It's okay...”

“I won't survive if they take you-” Scott whimpered, low in her throat, and Allison twisted her fingers in Scott's hair.

“You'll have to,” Allison said. She clenched her jaw when Scott lifted her, hands grasping her butt and wrapping her legs around Scott's waist. Allison held Scott's head against her chest, aching to feel Scott shaking. “You'll survive and you'll find us.”

Scott walked backwards until she hit the bed, and she collapsed with Allison on top of her. They bounced and settled on the mattress, and Allison crawled over Scott and pressed comfort into her skin as they shed their clothes.

...*...

It was dark when Allison woke.

The heat was suffocating.

And her hands were tied behind her back.

She opened her eyes and winced. Sweat slid along her skin, sticking her clothing to her body. Twisting, she managed to sit herself up, legs sprawled in front of her. She rubbed her face on her shoulder and saw red smeared along her shirt. She licked her lips. Nosebleed.

Punched in the face? Her nose didn't feel broken. She didn't feel in pain at all, actually, aside from the blistering heat of the air pressing against her chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Allison! Oh thank god.”

Allison whipped her head, sweat-soaked hair sticking to her neck, and saw Stiles flail at her. His hands were behind his back, and he shoved himself gracelessly to his feet and trotted to her.

“This means Scott's not far behind, right?” he asked, face red and shining with sweat.

“I'm sure she'll find us,” Allison said. “We had a lead, and Derek is looking for you, too. They'll find us. Do you know where we are?”

“Abandoned glassworks factory,” Stiles said immediately. “Someone's lit all the kilns for melting the glass, and it's hot as hell in here.”

“I'd noticed,” Allison said. She looked around. “Is it just us?”

“Isaac's bad. He's bad off. He's been here way too long,” Stiles said. “And I haven't been able to get these _off_.”

Allison twisted to see what they were bound in, and she saw Stiles' problem immediately. His wriggling had forced his zip-up sleeves around the twine securing his wrists. He wouldn't have been able to cut himself free. “Come here.”

Stiles inched closer to her, and their fingers tangled. She got her fingers on the knot and started to work at it.

It took longer than she wanted, and her fingers started to go numb with the strain, but she got the twin loose enough that Stiles could slip out of his zip-up. He dumped the hoodie on the floor and stripped his shirt off next. Allison averted her eyes, and heard jean buttons snap, followed by the sound of denim sliding on cement.

Stiles' fingers were on her wrists next, and Allison could feel his heat close to her. Within minutes her wrists were free, and her own shirt was off. She wasn't warm enough to ditch her skirt yet, but if they didn't leave soon she'd have to.

Stiles led her to Isaac, stripped down to his boxers and tucked against a wall in an attempt to keep him cooler. His eyes were dark slits against an unnaturally pale face. And despite the pallor, his cheeks carried a violent red flush.

“Isaac, can you hear me? It's Allison. We're going to get you out of here,” she said, kneeling in front of him. He reached for her, one clawed hand scraping at the cement, and she grasped his hand between both of hers. “We're going to get you out of here. Hold on for me. Isaac, please.”

She dragged Isaac into her lap, cradling his head against her chest.

“There's some sort of barrier against all the doors, keeping the heat in,” Stiles said. “I tried breaking it with every charm I know.”

“It's a kitsune,” Allison said, “Used to different forms of magic. You don't have enough information to create the spells needed.”

Stiles grunted, frustrated. He sat on his heels and raked his hands through soaked hair. “We need to find some way to get water into this place. Water beats fire. Right? Pokemon basics. If we can reroute some of the old plumbing...”

“Stiles, the water's been turned off for years,” Allison said. “Stiles!”

Stiles grabbed one of the old pipes and jerked his hand back, hissing. “Hot! Hot... God damn it...”

Allison rested Isaac's head on the cool concrete while she peeled off her skirt. She was sweating through everything, and the fact that Isaac's kin was cool on hers was worrying.

She heard soft steps from one end of the expansive room, and looked up to see a fiery creature walking towards them. It was a fox, with a tail of fire and glowing red eyes. Stiles leapt to his feet and planted himself between Allison and the kitsune.

“Don't come closer,” Stiles said. “I'll make it rain.”

“Impossible,” the kitsune said, his voice resonant against the concrete walls. “You will remain here until an agreement can be reached.”

“Agreement?” Allison stared at the fire beast. “What do you mean? You want to make a deal with the pack?”

“You could have done that without all the kidnapping and the heat exhaustion,” Stiles pointed out. “Which, he's in bad shape, by the way. A good way to make us grateful to you would be to let him get help. He needs out of this heat.”

“You will remain here until an agreement can be reached,” the kitsune intoned again.

Stiles groaned and shoved his hands through sweat-soaked hair. “Broken record; _not helpful_.”

The kitsune ignored him and turned, walking out of the factory, leaving scorch marks in the concrete floor.

Not a moment had passed before they heard an earth-shaking roar from outside. Allison caught Stiles' eye. Scott.

They gathered up Isaac and dragged him to the coolest place they could manage to wait for the werewolves to free them. The wall beside them caved in under a steam roller named Derek, and Stiles was swept up in a rib-crushing hug. Scott jumped through the hole Derek had created, and trotted to Allison.

“Are you all right?” she asked, scanning Allison for signs of harm.

“I'm fine, but Isaac is bad off. We need to get his temperature down,” she said. Isaac's head rolled on her shoulder.

“Okay. We'll go to Danny's. The pool,” Scott said. She crouched and scooped Isaac into her arms as if he weighed nothing. Allison couldn't be bothered to take the time to pull her clothes on. She was glad she wore her black silk today.

Derek refused to let Stiles go, so Stiles hitched a ride in the Camero, and Scott drove Stiles' Jeep to Danny's. Allison sat in the back with Isaac, watching his laboured breaths stutter from his chest. Scott almost wrenched the Jeep's door off getting to Isaac, and Stiles yelled at her, which was ignored.

Scott took Isaac against her and trotted around Danny's house. Allison followed close behind while Stiles had the presence of mind to knock on the door and let Danny know what they were doing.

Scott threw herself into the pool, Isaac in her arms, and Allison jumped feet-first after her. The water felt like ice against her skin, and she gasped, inhaling a great mouthful of water before standing and clearing the surface. She coughed, pushing her hair back from her eyes, and trudged to Scott's side.

Allison cupped Isaac's head, helping Scott keep him afloat. “He's not waking up,” Scott said, a tremor in her voice. “He's not waking up-”

“Give it time. His core has to drop,” Allison said, biting her lip. She smoothed cool palms over Isaac's cheeks. “He's going to be okay.”

Splashing behind her caught her attention, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Stiles and Derek, fully clothed, wading towards them. Derek took up Isaac's shoulders, helping buoy him, and Stiles hovered over Allison's shoulders.

Isaac's eyes scrunched, and he dragged in a ragged breath, jerking in Scott's arms. Allison nudged Derek out of the way and grasped Isaac's head between both her hands.

“Isaac, baby, it's okay. You're safe. Calm down,” she said in a low voice. His eyes opened, and he dazedly stared at her. “That's it, babe. Keep looking at me. We've got you. Do you know who I am?”

His face twisted. “Allison? But- You can't be here-”

He started to struggle, and Scott held him firm with Derek's help. Allison dug her fingers into Isaac's cheeks.

“We got you out. You're safe with me and Scott. Look at me, Isaac. Calm down. Eyes on me, babe.” Allison smoothed her thumbs over his skin, and he settled, closing his eyes and dragging in deep, frantic breaths. “I think his temperature's going down.”

“Do you guys need anything?” Danny called from the edge of the pool. “Change of clothes? Aspirin? Anything?”

“Clothes would be great,” Scott returned. Her hair stuck to her face from her jump in the pool, and when she met Allison's eyes, Allison's heart clenched. Isaac's hand found hers and he held on.

Danny let them take his parent's master suite, complete with a massive tub that they filled with lukewarm water and wallowed in. Allison curled up tight against Scott, trying to calm her shivering. Werewolves ran hotter than humans, and the water wasn't incredibly warm because Isaac was still stablising. Scott wrapped her arms around Allison, and let her leech heat.

Isaac reclined with his head tipped back against the rim of the tub. Their legs all tangled in the centre, and nobody could bring themselves to move.

“Isaac, how are you?” Scott asked.

“Tired,” he admitted without moving.

“Isaac,” Allison started. “Would you like to sleep with us?”

Isaac jerked, and Scott stiffened beside her. Allison ignored her and focused her attention on Isaac. He stared at her, mouth agape. “Pardon?”

“Scott loves you,” Allison said. “And I've come to love you, too. We want you to be with us.”

Isaac's eyes went wide, that terrified, doe-eyed look he got when he wasn't sure if something was a test. He kept glancing between them until Allison pinched Scott.

Scott yelped, splashing, and scooted across the tub to where Isaac sat. She leaned against the edge of the tub, pressed up against him, and rested a hand over his chest. “My name is Nova Scotia,” she said softly.

Isaac stared at her as if she were the only one in the universe, and Allison dragged her knees to her chest to ward off the water's chill. Scott glanced at her, for permission, and Allison nodded slightly.

Scott cupped Isaac's jaw and tipped his face towards her. She kissed him, slow, and sweet, and gentle. Earnest, like she was in everything she did. Isaac whimpered, a soft, broken sound, as he clutched at her arms.

They parted.

“No- I didn't mean- I don't want you and Allison-”

“Hush, Isaac,” Scott said, her fingers going tight at the back of his neck. “I care about you and her very much. Very, very much. And I want you to know it.”

“I'm so sorry-” Isaac was facing her now, pain in his eyes. “I didn't mean-”

“You're not breaking us,” Allison said, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. “We want you to be with us. Together. This was a choice we both made a while ago. We've been waiting for the right time.”

“I'm sorry...”

“There's nothing to be sorry for,” Allison said gently. “We wanted this. We want you. We want you with us.”

Scott leaned close and whispered something in Isaac's ear. Isaac eyed Allison and shifted. He slowly crossed the tub and bracketed her with both arms. She held herself firm as he leaned close. She could feel his warmth surrounding her, and relaxed slightly. Isaac hesitated, catching her eye.

“It's okay,” Allison said, breathing the words against Isaac's lips.

He closed the distance and gingerly kissed her, the chastest brush of his mouth against hers. She let him drive the kiss, let him deepen it and feel her respond. He touched her jaw to angle her face upwards, and she hummed against his lips. Isaac pulled away, and Allison sighed at the loss.

“To bed?” Scott asked.

“To bed,” Allison confirmed, her eyes locked with Isaac's.

Isaac smirked.

...*...

“You're insane.”

Allison turned her head at Scott's whisper. She got a mouthful of Scott's hair, and blew it away. Scott giggled and tangled their fingers. She was still sex-flushed and loopy. Isaac was completely passed out on Allison's other side, their legs all wrapped up around each other's.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Scott asked, pressing her nose to Allison's neck.

“You were never going to believe me,” Allison said. “I had to just throw you both into it. You would have chickened out.”

“I would have,” Scott agreed, nuzzling her. “You're too smart for me.”

“I know,” Allison said, shifting luxuriously. Her phone buzzed, and she reached over Scott to grab it, smooshing their breasts together deliciously. Scott giggled again, and Allison remained on Scott's chest as she checked the text from her father. “Oh. He has a way to kill it.”

Scott quieted and Allison dialed her father.

“Hey Dad,” she said when he picked up.

“Allison, where are you? Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm, uh, at Danny's,” she said. “Everyone's accounted for.”

“Okay, Hiroshi-san said that it can only be killed by a woman's hand, with a mix of cold water and peppermint,” Dad said. “Before you go off half-cocked, I want you to know that I disprove of whatever you're planning.”

“We haven't even-” Allison protested.

“I don't care. You're my little girl, I want you safe. Now, that said. What's the plan?”

“We don't have one yet,” Allison said. “When you say woman, do you mean human woman or can it be a werewolf too?”

“Are you with McCall!?”

“Er. Call you back, Dad. I love you.” Allison snapped the phone shut and tossed it on the floor somewhere. It buzzed menacingly, but she ignored it and tucked herself against Scott's bosom. “You and I can kill it.”

“Did he mean literal hand, because I don't want you to stick your hand onto a flaming beast,” Scott said, her eyebrows furrowing cutely. “I can kill it.”

“I'll go with you,” Allison said.

“I don't want you-”

“We can fill super soakers with peppermint water and attack that way,” Allison said. “Distance and we'll be able to disable it for you to move in for the kill.”

“God, you are so smart,” Scott said with a sultry groan. “I love you.”

Allison hummed and kissed Scott's nose. “We should move quickly, before the others get it in their heads to go after this thing.”

Scott grabbed her phone and sat up, texting Stiles to crush some peppermint sticks for them. She kicked back the covers and shimmied into a sports bra and short shorts. Allison climbed out of bed after her, and helped her tug her hair free of the bra straps before she tugged on her own clothes.

Scott grabbed her waist as she was snapping the buttons on her blouse, and they paused, looking at Isaac, sound asleep in the giant mattress.

“He's adorable,” Scott said, resting her chin on Allison's shoulder.

“I want to protect him from everything,” Allison said.

Scott's arms around her waist tightened slightly. “He still has nightmares some nights. I think you'll be good for him.”

“I think you'll be good for him, too,” Allison said, smiling. “Let's go make our weapons.”

Stiles was dissolving peppermint sticks into water when they got into the kitchen, and Derek sulked against the counter like someone had stepped on his kitten. His eyes refused to leave Stiles' shoulders, watching him as he flew around the kitchen.

“What do you need peppermint water for?” Stiles asked, sticky bits of candy decorating his fingers.

“We think it might have an effect on the kitsune,” Scott said, throwing herself onto one of the kitchen chairs. “And apparently, women are more effective against it than dudes. Sorry boys, you're going to be sitting this one out. I need you to watch Isaac to make sure he's recovered.”

“Scott, we're not going to let you go on your own,” Stiles said.

“I'm going with her,” Allison said. She swept her hair back into a ponytail. “We'll be fine.”

“I can at least man the getaway car,” Stiles said. “Let one of us come with you.”

“It will be okay. I don't think it wants to hurt us, exactly,” Allison said. Scott narrowed her eyes. “Yesterday, it said something about making an agreement.”

“I don't think there's much it can do if it's kidnapping my pack,” Scott said, pulling her own curls into a somewhat manageable bun. “It should know werewolves are extremely territorial.”

“We'll find out,” Allison said. She grabbed a few jugs of Stiles' peppermint water and led Scott to Danny's garage.

Danny and Ethan jumped apart as if stung when she pushed the door open, and she rolled her eyes. “Please, boys. I've already seen everything. Don't need to act like freshman caught in the janitor's closet.”

She moved past them to a storage container that she knew held at least one giant water gun. She snatched it out and found a small spritzing pistol under it. She held up both. “We'll use the small one to minimize your burns, and I'll cover you with the large one.”

Scott nodded. Together, they filled the two water guns.

“Stiles is going to let me take the Jeep,” Scott said, holding up Stiles' keys.

“No he's not!” Stiles called from the kitchen. “Stop picking my pocket, Scott, god damn it!”

“Let's go,” Scott said with a grin.

The water guns proved amazingly effective. The kitsune vanished in an anticlimactic puff of smoke, and the heat surrounding them instantly lifted. Scott's phone went off and she picked it up to Stiles telling her how the heat was gone.

Allison dumped the rest of her water on Scott in celebration.

**Author's Note:**

> If the ending seems a little unsatisfying, I apologise. I wanted it to have a bit of an episodic feel to it, and I'm absolutely, patentedly awful at endings. If anyone else wants to take a crack at it, please, be my guest. Totally not offended.


End file.
